GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 116, 20 December 1879, Page 3

GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

—> +- — : A old Dominican monk has been fatally stabbed in a street in Rome by a man who advanced towards him saying, "It is liiiie to finish with, you fellows." Another of the few remaining Waterloo veterans has passed awa}', in the person of Colonel John B. lliddlesdon, late of the 24th Foot, at the advanced ago of 92 years. A telegraphic cable has been laid between Germany and Norway by an English company, which makes the communication between Germany and Scandinavian independent of Deumarck. The old Arctic discovery ship Resolute is being broken up at Chatham dockyard. Tho majority of her timbers are in a very decayed state, some of them being so rot ton that they fall to pieces at the least toueli.' News from Civita Vecchia tells of a striking act of courage performed by Garibaldi's daughter, a child of 15 years old. While bathing on October y, a young man near who oould not swim got out of his depth, aud at his cry for help she struck out bravely for him, caught him as she.was sinking, and brought him safe to laud. During a recent match at Jersey, in which the Hildegarde, yacht of the Prince of Wales, was competing, one of the crew accidentally lost his life. llw Royal Highness has directed an annuity of- £24 a year to be paid to the deceased's widow, with an extra sovereign at Easter aud at Chrristmas, and has also ensured the education of bur children. The watch which the Prince Imperial wore when he was killod, and which is iiow in the hands of t)ie Zulus, was worn by the first Napoleon through most of his campaigns, and afterward to the end of hi* life. It kept very indifferent time but tho great Emperor would nover wear any other than this, which he purchased at Marseilles when ho was but a poor lieutenant of artillery. Napoleon 111. wore this watch from the day ho wan named Prince President until the day of.h's death at Chislehurst, and it is picturesquely related that in 1870, just as ho was about to put himself at the head.of.his .troops, the watch stopped. Ho was superstitious, the incident served to depress him for days. After his death his widow gave tho watch to her son. 'Miss Braddon certainly is ono of the most indefatigable, as 'well as tho most industrious, of novelists. Her engagements for the next six mouths iilclude a serial story for tho World, which is to be ..of the old sensational typo; a new novel for All the Year Round, for which, by the way, Anthony Trollopo is writing a new one*, and another to go tho round, of some four countries, and as'many colonial papers simultaneously. How on earth she can keep on writing and inventing appears .'marvellous. It is n . curious i faot that, -successful as have been the dtamatio versions-, of her ■ novels, " Lady Audley's • Secret," " Eleanor's Victory," " Only a Clod" (all produced at tho St. -James.' Theatre), and "Aurora Floyd," a stock piece everywhere, Miss. Braddon herself nover received a .penny in the .way of. uoDßiineration. It is said that the same injustice exists in the oaso of ,Mrs. Henry Wood,- whose -navel " East Ly;mo,"'hiw been so often- dramatised, and of, which adaptations are at present being played at the London Theatres. •' " . ...' , , >v